Northern Green Snake

The northern green snake is a slender, arboreal colubrid distributed across West and Central Africa, part of the diverse Philothamnus group of African green snakes. Its vivid green coloring provides excellent camouflage among leaves and vines in the forest and savanna habitats it occupies.

Completely non-venomous, the northern green snake is harmless to humans and is one of the more commonly encountered green tree snakes across its range, often mistaken by the public for more dangerous green-colored species.

• Bright green to yellowish-green body, sometimes with a bluish tinge
• Slender, elongated build suited to climbing
• Large eyes with round pupils
• Smooth scales
• Pale yellow or greenish-white underside

Its uniform bright green coloration, slender arboreal build, and non-venomous status distinguish it from superficially similar green mambas and vine snakes, though careful identification is advised since coloration alone can be misleading.

This species occupies forest edges, woodland, savanna thickets, and vegetation along waterways across West and Central Africa, often found in shrubs, low trees, and dense foliage where its coloring provides camouflage.

Northern green snakes are diurnal and largely arboreal, foraging among branches and foliage for frogs, lizards, and occasionally small birds and eggs. They are generally docile and rely on camouflage and swift retreat rather than aggression when threatened. Reproduction is oviparous, with clutches of eggs laid in tree hollows, leaf litter, or other sheltered sites.